Silica co-condensation is useful in material science to make polysiloxane macromolecules with specific chemical and physical properties. It may be desirable to control physical and chemical compositions of silica macromolecules, particularly those silica macromolecules used in healthcare products such as medical devices and pharmaceutical compositions.
In silica co-condensation, different silane monomers may be mixed prior to the addition of catalyst and/or additional reagents that may initiate the condensation. The silane mixture may then be added at a controlled speed in a reactor that holds the catalyst and/or the other reagents. Once the silane monomer mixture is combined with the catalyst and/or other reagents, the co-condensation reaction begins. However, it may be difficult to obtain a homogeneous solution via controlling the speed of addition and/or the agitation of the mixture, particularly if the silane mixture includes basic monomers such as aminosilanes, which may self-catalyze during the co-condensation reaction. Inhomogeneity of the solution may affect the composition and properties of the resulting co-condensed macromolecules.
Methods that decrease or eliminate the problem of inhomogeneity in the co-condensation reaction mixture would be desirable.